Hymn for a Maiden
by Katie Havok
Summary: "You shouldn't joke about things like that," Tina says slowly, threading a blade of grass through her fingers to avoid looking into his eyes. "It might...hurt people. People you don't necessarily want to hurt." She hears Newt's sharp intake of breath, the rustle of fabric when he rolls to face her before gently reaching for her hand. "Who says I'm joking?" he asks quietly.


Originally posted on Ao3 on September 1st.

 **Warning:** light smut, and some very loosely implied past non-/dub-con outside of Newtina.

* * *

"I think we should get married."

Tina turns to squint at Newt, sprawled on his stomach with his chin resting on his hands. He cuts his eyes to her, smirking slightly, and she slaps his shoulder while willing her suddenly frantic heartbeat to calm.

"You shouldn't joke about things like that," she says slowly, threading a blade of grass through her fingers to avoid looking into his eyes. "It might... _hurt_ people. People you don't necessarily want to hurt."

She hears Newt's sharp intake of breath, the rustle of fabric when he rolls to face her before gently reaching for her hand. "Who says I'm joking?" he asks quietly.

Tina flicks the blade of grass aside curtly. "Don't you think that's an awfully big step to take on a whim?" She sighs before turning to him. "What even brought this on?"

Newt pushes himself upright. "I'm worried," he admits in a low voice. "I have this mission and I don't know how long I'll be gone, I can't guarantee I'll come back, and…" His throat clicks when he swallows. Tina clutches his fingers until he goes on in a faltering voice, anxiously watching his face. "All I can think is, I don't want to miss this opportunity because I was too scared or too — too _stubborn_ to admit how I feel about you."

She holds her breath when Newt falls silent, studiously avoiding her eyes. "And how _do_ you feel about me?" she croaks when it becomes apparent he's spoken his piece, his fingers trembling within her own.

He looks at her full-on, eyes overbright in his tanned face. "I love you," Newt says as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "I love you, and I can't stand the thought of leaving without telling you, or at the least, without asking for your hand." He goes to his knees, cradling her hand against his scruffy cheek. "I can't imagine possibly wanting anyone else in this world as wholly, as _completely_ , as I want to be with you and I'd devote the remainder of my life to you, if you'll only give me the chance."

Tina exhales shakily before reaching for him. Newt goes into her embrace, wrapping tentative arms around her before sighing deeply. "I'm _glad_ you asked," she confesses in a whisper, trembling with a combination of nerves and anticipation. She grimly tightens her hold on him until she can feel his ribs moving beneath her arms. "Yes, Newt, I'll marry you, and happily."

Newt nuzzles his face into her neck. "Thank you, Tina," he whispers before reaching past her for a small pebble to transfigure into a ring, offering it to her.

She accepts the ring with a watery smile before taking him back into her arms.

* * *

They are married in a tiny, no-frills ceremony held in her living room.

Tina wears a fashionable dress of light gray, a cool compliment to Newt's jewel-tone blue. Abernathy performs the ceremony in full witness of Mrs. Esposito and Queenie, who dabs away happy tears with a pink handkerchief. Tina half expects him to riddle them with innuendo but he is surprisingly sweet, and his blessing and felicitations seem genuine until Queenie leads him away and Tina is left alone with her new husband.

"So…" Newt says quietly, sharing a lopsided smile with her. "Are we...official?" Then, after a thoughtful pause: "Can I kiss you again?"

"Technically, we aren't official until we consummate our union," Tina says stiffly, toying with her corsage to hide the shaking in her hands. "And yes, you may kiss me if you wish."

He does, and it is just as tender as the one they had shared upon Abernathy's pronouncement. Tina finds herself pleasantly breathless when they part, and he has eyes only for her as they share their first wedded dance, a delicious meal of Queenie's cooking, and a cake from the same No-Maj baker who'd had such a fateful impact on their lives — whose love and friendship was still held as the most closely guarded of secrets.

Afterward, their guests depart so they may enjoy each other's company. Tina is surprised to find herself the instigator when Newt moves in to kiss her again and she welcomes it, sliding her arms around his shoulders as they stumble-walk into the bedroom.

Tentative kisses slowly give way to heated exploration, and they manage to wriggle out of their outer layers without parting as Newt's wonderfully calloused hands trace along her sides. She clings to his narrow but sturdy shoulders when he gently pushes her back and welcomes his kiss until he breaks it to murmur in her ear.

"Have you done this before?" he asks, low and breathless, and _oh_ — how she wishes she could tell him that she was untouched, that his ardent attentions were the first.

"Um," she manages, self-consciously folding into herself as his eyes study her face. "I...have? But I also...haven't. Not precisely. Not like this."

Newt's brow furrows as he mulls over her words until the sprink drops, his eyes widening in understanding. "Oh," he breathes, reaching for her before thinking better of it, his hand hovering awkwardly. "Oh, Tina, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Tina decides for him, guiding him to the tight flesh of her breast and trying to keep her breath from trembling. "It's not your fault," she says quietly. "You couldn't have known so please don't blame yourself—" She stops and takes a deep breath, pushing down the familiar, yammering panic that threatens to break free at his proximity before finding her voice. "Just touch me. _Please._ "

He hums thoughtfully before doing just that, gentling his touch until she could cry tears of joy from it. Newt tenderly explores her curves and angles, the planes and lines of her body, seeking permission when unsure and watching her carefully for signs of strain until she trembles beneath him. His hands trail from her breasts, flush with his attention, over the softness of her belly to the juncture of her thighs, where they linger patiently.

Tina shows him where and how to touch her at his gentle urging, and can scarcely believe it when he eventually slots two fingers into her, thumb gently pressing against the knot of nerves that makes her toes curl, and it feels...nice. _Welcome_ even, though she can't bring herself to show him how much she enjoys it, locking those feelings away to be examined in private later.

"Good?" Newt asks, and she can see how affected he is by the red stain covering his cheeks, the strained lines around his eyes.

"Yes," she says honestly before tugging on his wrists, urging him over her.

Newt breathes shakily against her skin as they line up. Tina can't help but laugh a little at their initial fumbling awkwardness, too-long limbs flailing until he guides her legs to wrap loosely around his waist, one of his slim hands cradling her hip. Her breath shakes out of her lungs when she feels _it_ for the first time, heavy against her thigh. She counts six inches as he soothes her with murmured reassurances until she can meet his eyes and say honestly, "I'm ready."

He kisses her temple while reaching between them. The first probing brush of his length causes her to tense up instinctively, and he makes a soothing sound before kissing her cheek. "We can stop, you know," Newt reminds her while meeting her eyes. "I don't ever want you to feel forced into anything, Tina."

Tina sighs heavily before bumping her head against the pillow. "I'm sorry," she says softly. "I wish I could make this good for you, but I just can't seem to…" Frustrated tears gather along her lashes, and Newt cups her jaw before depositing himself at her side, a speculative gleam in his eyes. He opens his arms to her and she goes into them after a moment's hesitation, carefully straddling his lap.

"Would it be easier like this?" Newt asks, searching her face.

She bites her lips before murmuring that yes, it probably would. She can't bring herself to reach between their bodies to position him but Newt seems to sense her uncertainty. He tests her readiness before gently guiding her, making soothing sounds against her hairline. He enters her with a stab and Tina flinches despite her best efforts, clinging to him when he hauls her into his chest and allows her to bury her face in his neck.

"You're alright," Newt murmurs, keeping perfectly still as she trembles, defiantly ignoring the shock of penetration. She takes a series of deep breaths before finding the nerve to kiss him, the contact gentle and slow as Newt tentatively strokes her back.

Tina can't bring herself to open her eyes but she feels more in control of her emotional responses when she wraps her arms around his shoulders and experimentally twitches her hips. The movement does nothing for her but its effect on Newt is undeniably galvanic: every thread and fiber of his being tenses beneath her, his arms like steel bands as his throat clicks. She does it again to see if it has the same result before falling into a clumsy rhythm, his hands on her thighs guiding her up and down as she hides in his chest.

She grows weary of the tiresome rubbing after a time, leg muscles protesting the unaccustomed angle. Newt sighs against her skin, where he's been placing stubbly kisses, before gently urging her to stop. Tina looks down at him when he tips his head back to muster her, his gaze lazy as a slow smile spreads across his face.

"Are we official _now?_ " he asks in a low purr.

She can't help but laugh, inexplicable tears flooding her eyes. "I think so, yeah," she sniffles, and sighs when his softening length slips out of her. She feels slightly guilty she was unable to bring him to a natural and pleasant end, but overwhelming relief crowds it out as she rolls off his lap to tuck into his side. Newt holds her close, and she looks up at him with a small but genuine smile.

"I promise it'll be better next time," she says before touching his face. "I'm sorry tonight was so…"

Newt tips his forehead against hers before closing his eyes. "Today — _tonight_ — was perfect," he murmurs warmly.

Tina's heart clenches at the sincerity in his words. "Let's sleep for a while," she says in a fit of daring, biting her lip. "And in a few hours, maybe…"

Her new husband looks at her, face going through a variety of interesting expressions before settling on simple awe. "I love you, you wonderful, stubborn, _determined_ witch," he mumbles and kisses her mouth before wrapping her in his arms, warm and secure.

"Try showing me in a few hours," she manages around a yawn, tucking her nose into the notch of his neck to inhale his unique scent — leather and dust, wool and sunshine — before closing her eyes.

* * *

Wow, did I struggle with this one. It was written for a prompt but man - it was hard, going that far outside of my own comfort zone!

Thanks, as always to Kemara for beta- and proof-reading. Want a prompt of your own filled? Come find me on Tumblr at katiehavok and drop me a line!


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